Featured Stories

Chris Giddinge: A Time for War, A Time for Peace

“Every war has its after-war” writes Pulitzer Prize-winner David Finkel in Thank You For Your Service. And so it is with war medic, Chris Giddinge, who movingly tells of his journey to heal himself and other service members through the practice of yoga nidra.

Fall '08

A Place on the River
Historical piece on the east coast's oldest African American boating club: the Seafarers' Yacht Club. (Video)

Brainfood. Eat. Learn. Cook.
"[The film] tells the story about our organization that we can share with future students, potential volunteers, funders and board members." (Video)

Doing Big Things with Small Boats
The Alexandria Seaport Foundation offers paid work-based apprentice programs in boatbuilding to help disadvantaged youths develop the discipline, self confidence, workshop and social skills necessary to compete their GED and find a job. (Video)

Fall 2009

Against the Grain
A story of a community activist that faces social alienation as he speaks out against racism and other civil ills. (Video)

DC Youth Orchestra Program
"The DC Youth Orchestra Program accepts all students and provides them
with music classes and ensemble training for those who wish to participate." (Video)

Friendship Place: Phillip Black
Phillip Black found himself homeless when he was down on his luck. After falling into depression trying to cope with this realization, he eventually found Friendship Place. (Video)

Spring 2010

Giving Them Strength
Martha's Table, a DC community center that runs youth and food programs, explores new ways to help the needy. "[Student filmmakers] caught the spirit of much of what we do here and we will be able to use their work to help orient new volunteers, to share with donors…to help with fundraising and tell the community who we are and what we do." (Video)

Inspiring Voices
A local non-profit, Community Bridges, runs programs that aim to empower young girls in the area. (Video)

St. Elizabeths Hospital
Students in the Unseen Unheard course produced a documentary on the historic hospital. (Video)

The Only People in Town
[T]he film exists as a testament to the exemplary quality of the instruction, scholarship, and commitment to critical social issues present at American University. The film validates the significant educational work completed in and out of the classroom by the students and instructor. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the University again. (Video)

Spring 2011

A Wider Circle
A Wider Circle tells the story of this organization whose mission is simple: to help children and adults lift themselves out of poverty. It focuses on the volunteers of all ages that make this organization tick providing furniture, bedding, linen, non-perishable foods and personal items to needy families free of charge, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. (Video)

Anacostia Rollers
The Anacostia Rollers & Friends is a roller skating group made up of seniors who have been performing for the Anacostia community and beyond for over twenty years- performing to improve community relations while showing their stuff. They are featured as part of a collaborative effort between the Anacostia Community Museum and AU's Community Voice Project to document public artists in the Anacostia community. (Video)

Carecen
This short film highlights the work of Carecen (the Central American Resource Center) in the face of the housing crisis. It focuses on Carecen's work to empower Latino families through tenant organizing, education and advocacy, and access to affordable housing and home ownership. (Video)

Carolyn Darley
In this short profile, Carloyn Darley tells the story of her journey from a home and family, to homelessness, and then to a home of her own, through her own perseverance and the help of a very special organization-- the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place. (Video)

Spring 2012

SPRING 2014

Fast Food Workers Organize

Good Jobs Nation: Alexis Vasquez
A high school student with stellar grades, Alexis gives up his dreams of becoming an architect to help support his family by taking on two fast-food jobs. Faced with low pay and no benefits, he joins his coworkers in the fight for a livable wage, and finds his voice in the process.

Good Jobs Nation: Jerome Hardy
Working for years as a short-order cook at a Pentagon fast food outlet, and barely getting a raise, Jerome Hardy joined his union’s letter-writing campaign to President Obama, to raise the minimum wage for workers like himself, working in federal buildings.

Good Jobs Nation: Wilfredo Reyes
Arriving from Guatemala with the dream of bringing his wife and children to the United States, Wilfredo tells his story of loss, struggle, sacrifice …. and stubborn hope, as he joins his fellow workers to raise their meager earnings to livable wages.

Yoga and Meditation to Heal Veterans

There and Back Again
As one of the 500,00 American veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Laura Pratt tells her story of slow but promising recovery through the practice of yoga and meditation.

Warriors at Ease
“Every war has its after-war” writes Pulitzer Prize-winner David Finkel in Thank You For Your Service. And so it is with war medic, Chris Giddinge, who movingly tells of his journey to heal himself and other service members through the practice of yoga nidra.